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William Acree elected president of Tennessee Judicial Conference

William Acree elected president of Tennessee Judicial Conference

Posted: Monday, July 28, 2008 10:58 pm

Circuit Court Judge William B. Acree Jr. has been elected president of the 178-member Tennessee Judicial Conference (TJC), which includes all state appellate and trial court judges. Acree, who serves the 27th Judicial District, succeeds Tennessee Court of Criminal Appeals Judge D. Kelly Thomas Jr. of Maryville as conference president. “It is a great honor to have been chosen by my colleagues to lead our Judicial Conference,” Acree said. “While it is somewhat daunting to follow the outstanding leadership provided by Judge Thomas, I am looking forward to the challenge.” Son of the late Dr. and Mrs. William B. Acree Sr. of Ridgely, Acree is a 1962 graduate of the former Ridgely High School, a 1966 graduate of the University of Tennessee-Knoxville with an undergraduate degree in business administration and a 1968 graduate of the UT-K law school. He is a veteran of two years’ service with the U.S. Army. He is married to the former Ginny O’Brien and has five children. In 1994, he was appointed to the bench by then-Gov. Ned McWherter to replace Circuit Judge David Hayes, who was elevated to the Tennessee Court of Criminal Appeals. Prior to the appointment, he was in private practice. He later won election to the office in his own right and has since been reelected. He has served as a special judge on the Tennessee Court of Criminal Appeals, the Tennessee Court of Appeals and the Tennessee Supreme Court Worker’s Compensation Panel and has been a special master appointed by the Supreme Court. He was a member of the governor’s Task Force on the Use of Enhancement Factors in Criminal Sentencing. In 2003, he was instrumental in starting a successful drug court in the 27th Judicial District. He also served as president of the Tennessee Trial Judges Association. The Judicial Conference provides continuing judicial education for judges and a forum for members to share experiences and ideas for the betterment of the judicial system. In addition, a TJC foundation provides scholarships to outstanding law school students. Other new TJC officers include Chancellor Carol L. McCoy of the 20th Judicial District, who has become the first woman president-elect of the conference. Ms. McCoy will succeed Acree as president in June 2009. Criminal Court Judge James C. Beasley Jr. of the 30th Judicial District is the new TJC vice president; Criminal Court Judge Mark Ward of the 30th Judicial District was elected secretary; and Circuit Court Judge Roy Morgan Jr. of the 26th Judicial District is conference treasurer. Published in The Messenger 7.28.08